Queen’s Gambit Season 1 Episode 3 Recap – Doubled Pawns

[00:00:10] Elizabeth continues to have flashbacks of her memories with her biological mother. This time they were at a lake where her mother was swimming. She was crying because she thought her mother had drowned. Just as Elizabeth thought all was lost, her mother emerged from the water. Overcome with joy and relief, she immediately gave her mother a hug as she returned to shore.

[00:01:35] We’re taken to Cincinnati; the year was 1963. Mrs. Wheatley and Elizabeth arrived at the hotel where the Cincinnati Open was being held. As planned, Elizabeth would enter the tournament to win it for the prize money. She quickly registered for the tournament and took a little stroll around the hotel. While strolling, she met a man giving a demonstration about chess to a group of men. Elizabeth interrupted him; however, news of her win over Harry Beltik had reached most ears in the chess community, and the man recognized her. While the man continued with his demonstration, Elizabeth realized that she might meet many skilled players in this tournament.

[00:05:15] Elizabeth headed on over to her first match, and in a blink of an eye, it was over, much like how she started on her previous tournament. She then bumped into the twins, Matt and Mike. They were in charge of the registration booth from the previous tournament, and like everyone from that tournament, they also didn’t believe in Elizabeth’s abilities.

[00:06:50] Elizabeth went to win her next match, but, to her surprise, Alma was there to support her. Matt and Mike approached Elizabeth to congratulate her on the win. Once again, they expressed their doubts, but somehow, she gained their confidence with her abilities. Elizabeth introduced both of them to her stepmother; the twins led the way to a restaurant as they continued a conversation regarding chess being a career in which one can gain an insurmountable amount of money.

[00:09:10] Elizabeth’s final match was against a grandmaster named Rudolph, and to everyone’s surprise, she bested him as well. Matt and Mike explained what was happening to Mrs. Wheatley as Elizabeth went for a checkmate on her opponent. After the match, Alma went through the budget with Elizabeth. After the cost of dinner and breakfast the next day, they would still have more than Three Hundred Dollars left as profit from the tournament winnings. Shockingly, she asked Elizabeth for ten percent of her winnings as an agent’s commission to which Elizabeth graciously offered to make it fifteen percent.

[00:10:40] Alma and Elizabeth were on a flight, presumably going to another tournament. Mrs. Wheatley read an article with the headline “Schoolgirl beats grandmaster at Pittsburgh,” stating that Elizabeth has now gained national recognition. After that, Mrs. Wheatley made multiple phone calls to Elizabeth’s school, stating that she was still sick and wouldn’t be able to attend her classes. This was just a ruse as Elizabeth continued to attend tournaments to earn money. On their next flight, Mrs. Wheatley mentioned another tournament during the holidays. She also insisted that they could enjoy the holidays and have a little vacation before the tournament. Elizabeth agreed, and once again, Mrs. Wheatley made a call to her school to inform them that she wouldn’t be able to return until after the holidays.

[00:14:00] After the holidays, Elizabeth returned to Lexington and into instant stardom. She was interviewed by a journalist who didn’t care about her chess career. She got interviewed because she was a girl who was dominating an all-male sport. The interview was published in a magazine, but Elizabeth wasn’t pleased as they didn’t publish anything she said that’s related to chess. There was still an upside to her fame. Elizabeth was no longer the subject of bullying. Some of the boys even started a chess club and asked for her autograph. Elizabeth also got invited to a pledge party for the Apple Pi’s, which she gladly accepted.

[00:19:50] During the party, the girls interviewed Elizabeth regarding her experiences in the tournaments that she attended. Elizabeth answered their questions, but she didn’t really understand the humor behind some of their questions since she never really had time to socialize. A band featured on TV started playing, and everyone sang along. To her amazement, everyone knew the song except her. Elizabeth decided that she would use the bathroom but changed her mind and just left the party. She clearly didn’t belong there, and she wasn’t enjoying herself. The moment she got home, she took a pill and started practicing chess again.

[00:23:00] Elizabeth headed to Las Vegas for the US Open. It’s now 1966, and it’s been three years since she started making a name for herself within the chess community. As she proceeded to the US Open, Elizabeth bumped into Townes. They caught up on her career, and he invited her over for an interview. As the two were taking a few pictures, Townes got intimate and started caressing her face. All of a sudden, a guy named Roger Dione entered the room. Townes awkwardly introduced Elizabeth. Roger had been playing baccarat but decided to quit and just read a book by the pool. Roger changed outfits and went over to the pool. As Roger left, Townes and Elizabeth just proceeded to play chess.

[00:30:00] With a ton of questions going through her mind, Elizabeth headed back to her room where Mrs. Wheatley was waiting for her. She asked Elizabeth to hand her a beer and offered her a sip. She immediately drank the whole bottle. Elizabeth wanted another bottle, but Mrs. Wheatley insisted that she shouldn’t; however, she eventually gave in after seeing the look on Elizabeth’s face.

[00:32:20] Elizabeth continued with the US Open, sharing her matches with Mrs. Wheatley. It’s revealed that the man she saw back in Cincinnati was none other than Benny Watts, the US Champion. Elizabeth acknowledged Benny’s skill; however, she noted that she’s not afraid of anyone within the competition except a Russian player named Vasily Borgov, as seen in newspapers and magazines on the previous episodes. Elizabeth gets a chance to once again speak with Benny during the tournament.

[00:34:30] Benny spoke to Elizabeth regarding a mistake that she made in a previous match with Harry Beltik that could have resulted in her loss. Elizabeth re-created the match setup and saw the mistake. She couldn’t believe it, nor could she accept the fact that she almost lost the game and she didn’t even know about it. Mrs. Wheatley told Elizabeth to calm down. She advised her not to focus on what had already happened. Elizabeth took a pill for good measure.

[00:36:40] Elizabeth and Benny were facing off for US Open Championship. Hell-bent on beating Benny, Elizabeth focused on her game, and to her surprise, she ended up on the losing side. She told Alma after the match that she didn’t see what Benny was planning. She could have been the champion, but she underestimated her opponent. To make matters worse, she did everything but couldn’t escape, which ultimately led her to call the game off and win Benny.